Joseph j



No'ModeL l A J. J. BISEL.

' TRUNK;

No. 5o4,.514. Patenfed Sept.-5, 1893;.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH J. BISEL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO AMBROSE B. CLEMMER AND ISAAC S. STOVER, OF SAME PLACE.

TRUNK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 504.514, dated September 5, 1893.

Application filed September 29, 1392? Serial No. 447.256. (No model.)

Ta all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, JOSEPH J. BISEL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trunks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improvement in trunks, having special reference to the provision of means whereby the tray may be locked in any desired position to prevent it from bearing on or being driven against the trunk-lid when. the trunk is fully or only partly filled.

A chief source of annoyance from breaking of the trunk-lid and its fastenings by rough handling of trunks is due tothe strain on the lid exerted by the upward pressure of the tray, it being a common practice to ll the body of the trunk, put in the tray, and then press down the lid until the hasp is made to enter the lock, after which the straps are secured. This puts an undue strain on the lid and its fastenings, and, besides, the work is laboricus. Should the trunk, although not entirely filled, contain heavy articles, the tray would be liable to be thrown against the lid with such force as to result in damage to the latter.

My invention will first be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a trunk provided with my improved fastening device. Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of my invention. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same.

Referring to the drawings, A is a trunk, to the interior of which, preferably at the cen- F ter of each end piece, are securedvertioal 'tal plane.

of the tray C, as shown, the hearings 7 being provided with fingers 8, which engage the heads 3 of the rails B and serve to guide the tray in its vertical movement, at the same time preventing any movement in a horizon- The cams 6 have corrugated faces 9, which are adapted to contact with the faces 4 of the rails, thereby clamping the tray at any desired point, the cams being also provided With thumb-pieces 10, by means of which they may be thrown out of contact with the rails to permit the withdrawal of the tray from the trun k. It will be observed that the cams 6 are pivoted in such manner that any upward pressure ot' the tray will tend to tighten their hold on the rail.

The operation of my invention is so obvious as to need no description.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a trunk, the combination, With a series of vertical rails secured to the interior of the trunk and provided with heads, of a tray arranged between the rails, a series of bearings attached to the upper" edge of the tray and having projecting fingers which engage the heads of the rails, and a series of cams journaled in the hearings and arranged to engage the rails, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a trunk, a series of vertical rails secured to the interior of the trunk, and provided With corrugated heads, in combination with a tray arranged between the rails, a series of bearings attached to the upper edge of the tray and having projecting fingers which engage the heads of the rails,andaseries of cams journaled in the bearings, each cam provided with a thumb-piece and having a corrugated face arranged to engage with the corrugated face of its respective rail, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof Iafx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH J BISEL.

Witnesses SAML. K. SPENCER, CHARLES M. RANDALL. 

